University of Minnesota Athletics
Game Preview: Gophers vs. NJIT
12/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Minnesota vs. NJIT | |
| Date / Time | Monday, Dec. 28 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Williams Arena - Directions |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| Live Video | BTN Plus |
| Radio | KBEM 88.5 FM | Listen Online |
| Live Stats | |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | NJIT |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | NJIT |
| Social Media | @GopherWBB | Facebook |
In their final non-conference matchup of the year, the Golden Gophers (7-3) will face NJIT (3-8) at Williams Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Monday. Here are five things to know before the Gophers and Highlanders take the court:
1 The Gophers are 5-0 this season when they outrebound their opponents. Their biggest rebound margin came against Wofford when they held a 62-31 advantage on the glass. The Gophers have also won two games when they were outrebounded, including a victory against Memphis in which they had only one fewer rebound than the Tigers. Minnesota currently has six different players averaging 5.0 or more boards per contest: Rachel Banham (6.5), Shayne Mullaney (5.9), Carlie Wagner (5.5), Jessie Edwards (5.3), Mikayla Bailey (5.0) and Joanna Hedstrom (5.0).
2 Head coach Marlene Stollings got her 30th win at Minnesota when the Gophers beat North Dakota last Wednesday. Stollings became be the fifth Gopher women's basketball coach to reach that milestone. She took 43 games to do so, the second-fastest mark in program history. Last year, Stollings led Minnesota to its best-ever 18-game start (16-2) and tied the best 15-game record (14-1) by a first-year Gophers head coach.
3 Rachel Banham and Carlie Wagner are the No. 4 scoring duo in the nation as of Dec. 23. Banham (23.2 points per game, ninth in the nation and second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell) and Wagner (19.0) combine to score 42.2 points per contest. The pairings ahead of them hail from Washington (45.9), Ohio State (43.6) and Albany (43.1).
4 Three times this season, Minnesota has had five players score 10 or more points in a game: against Wofford, Kent State and Towson. Against Maine and North Dakota, four Gophers reached double figures. At least three have passed the 10-point mark in eight of 10 games.
5 The Gophers have held opponents to single-digit points in four different quarters this season. Most recently, the Minnesota defense limited North Dakota to eight points in the first quarter, going on a 19-4 run after starting behind four points. The Maroon and Gold held Wofford to four in the second and eight in the third (Nov. 13), and Memphis to eight in the third (Dec. 12).
Scouting the Highlanders
• NJIT is 3-8 so far in non-conference play and will soon open its first league schedule as part of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
• Leah Horton leads the Highlanders in scoring and rebounding with average of 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. She recorded her first double-double of the season (16 points/11 rebounds) in a close loss to North Dakota State.
• Kelly Guarino is NJIT's second-leading scorer at 8.5 points per game, and the leading 3-point shooter, connecting on 28 of 64 attempts (.438).
• The last time Minnesota faced NJIT, the Gophers won 71-47 on Dec. 23, 2011. Redshirt senior Rachel Banham is the only player on either team's current roster to have played in that game, and she tallied 20 points and seven rebounds.
Up Next
After Monday's game, Minnesota will move into Big Ten play. The Gophers open their league schedule at Rutgers on Dec. 31, with their conference home opener against Penn State to follow on Jan. 3.
